Jeff Daniels’ Television Event follows the production and aftermath of the controversial 1983 made-for-TV movie, The Day After – which imagined the impact of a nuclear attack on the USA.
In November 1983, America’s ABC broadcast The Day After, watched by more than 100 million people. At the time, anxiety about the Cold War and nuclear annihilation was at an all-time high.
A popular rumour is that the movie influenced President Ronald Reagan to avoid nuclear war altogether.
Daniels interviews the film’s director Nicholas Meyer, screenwriter Edward Hume and TV executives.
Television Event is screening as part of the Sydney Film Festival, including online via SFF On Demand. It is one of the 12 documentaries competing for the Documentary Australian Foundation Award.